Warren County officials may consider adopting the street no one wants. Omni Drive could be fixed as a service to the community.
“I’ve been asked about the possibility of the county paving that street,” said Commissioner Billy Earl Jones, during Tuesday’s county Highway and Bridge Committee meeting.
The question is not a new one for Warren County Road Superintendent Levie Glenn.
“I had someone mention the possibility of the county paving it and then turning it over to the city,” Glenn said. “I said it’s whatever the county commission wants to do.”
Gary Prater asked about the cost for paving the street, to which Glenn answered, “I don’t have actual numbers for the street.”
Omni Drive is approximately a quarter mile long and meets the county’s specifications in width. It is located near the hospital and is the road where CHEER Mental Health is located. However, it would also have to meet the city’s requirements if a deal between the two is to be considered.
“We would have to look into what the city’s regulations are,” said Glenn. “They say it’s not theirs and not on their list of roads. All I know is it’s not on the county’s road list.”
The street was originally made by private developers on private property. County tax records show the road belongs to three owners – WMD Group, which operates Middle Tennessee Radiology, Volunteer Behavioral Health Care, which operates CHEER, and the Warren County Ambulance Service.
When developers built a road with the intention of it being adopted by either the city or county as a public street later on, it is done to specifications depending on which government will be adopting the street.
According to Glenn, the street does meet county specifications.
“It is wide enough. Maybe it should have been adopted, but it fell through the cracks. It just wasn’t adopted for one reason or another.”
The street is inside McMinnville city limits with at least three county-owned properties in the area — Warren County Ambulance Service, vacant property and Warren County Animal Control.
It’s location begs the question of whether the city and county should split the cost of paving. Jones says maybe the city could be asked to consider paying half the paving costs.
“Maybe they would go halves with us on it,” Jones said.
Added Prater, “This is more of a community service, than it is anything. If we decide to adopt it, maybe we could do a capital outlay note or something.”
No decision was made regarding the street’s fate.
County may try to pave road no one wants
